For the first time, the acting Minister of Justice of France became a defendant in a criminal case. Eric Dupont-Moretti is accused of abuse of power.
On Friday, July 16, he was charged. He is suspected of trying to get revenge on some of the forensic investigators. The minister had conflicts with them when he worked as a lawyer. The case against Dupont-Moretti was opened back in January of this year. In 2020, he ordered the start of an administrative investigation against three investigators from the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF). At one time, they checked the billing of his phone. Then several lawyers came to the attention of law enforcement agencies: they were looking for an informant in the case of ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy.
In addition, the minister began administrative prosecution of former judicial investigator Edouard Levreau, who at one time brought charges against his client.
The Department of Justice has been under the direction of Dupont-Moretti since last year. Prior to that, he was known as a high-profile criminal lawyer.